Bags under eyes — mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes — are common as you age. With aging, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting your eyelids, weaken. Normal fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy. Fluid also may accumulate in the space below your eyes, adding to the swelling.
Bags under eyes are usually a cosmetic concern and rarely a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. At-home remedies, such as cool compresses, can help improve the appearance of bags under eyes. For persistent or bothersome under-eye puffiness, cosmetic treatments are available.
Sept. 26, 2014
- AskMayoExpert. Eyelid surgery. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2014.
- Eyelid surgery. American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. http://www.surgery.org/consumers/procedures/head/eyelid-surgery. Accessed Feb. 7, 2014.
- Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 4th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2014. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 7, 2014.
- AskMayoExpert. Eyelid surgery. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2013.
- Neligan PC. Plastic Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2013. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed June 4, 2014.
- Goldberg RA, et al. What causes eyelid bags? Analysis of 114 consecutive patients. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2005;115:1395.
- Brain basics: Understanding sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm. Accessed June 5, 2014.
- Goldberg DJ. Ablative laser surfacing for skin rejuvenation. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed June 5, 2014.
- Bradley EA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., July 22, 2014.